Pump manifold ball valve



Dec. 5 1933- E M, 55555 1,938,369

PUMP MANIFOLD BALL VALVE Original Filed Oct. 27, 1928 f FIG. 2. w

Patented Dec. 5, 1933 PATENT OFFICE,

PUMP MANIFOLD BALL VALVE Edward M. Beebe, Shawnee, Okla.

Substitute for application Serial No. 315,376, Oc-

tober 27, 1928. This application June 5, 1930.

Serial No. 459,384

2 Claims.

My. invention relates to pump manifolds and their valves; and moreparticularly to those adapted for use in the rotary drilling of oil andgas wells.

This is a substitute application for the one made by applicant in theUnited States Patent Oflice filed on October 27, 1928, under SerialNumber 315,376, for patent for Improvement in pump manifold ball valve.

Except for the integral downturned ends of the manifold body, thesubject matterof the present application will be found in theapplication made by applicant in the United States Patent Ofdce filed onDecember 14, 1927, under Serial Number 239,851, for patent forImprovement in slush pump manifold under which application as of date ofApril 30, 1928, by ofiicial communication a division was required asbetween claims 1 and 3 thereof for a plug valve, and claims 2 and 4thereof for a-ball valve. V

The objects of my invention are to produce a device of the classdescribed which will be new, novel, inexpensive, practical, efficientand of utility; which will automaticaly permit of its shifting from theuse of one pump to another in oil and gas well drilling with a rotarydrilling out-fit and in well and other pumping operations and in boilerfeed pumps and the like; which will prevent the necessity of the use oftwo or more expensive valves in connection with the drilling out-fltsabove described; which will be strong, durable and will not easily getout of order; which will prevent the frequent caving in of oil and gaswells by providing for the possibility of a continuous flow of thedrilling fluid into the well at all times for drilling use; which intoeither valve seat; which eliminates the large number of parts requiredin normal slush pump manifolds; which can be seated easily, quickly andautomatically in a firm position to close either source of fluid desiredto be guided in a given direction; which can be used on any alternatingor intermittently acting double pump such as boiler feed pumps and oiland gas well pumps and mud pumps where one discharge line is used; whichwill be cheap in construction and in manufacture.

With these and other objects in view as will more fully appear myinvention consists in the construction, novel features, and combinationof parts hereinafter more fully described, pointed out in the claimshereto appended, and illustrated in the accompanying one-sheet drawing,of which,

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the device in connection with twopumping lines; 1

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the device showing the ballvalve; and

Fig. 31s a perspective view of one of the removable valve seats.

Like characters of reference designate parts in all the figures.

It is understood that various changes inthe form, proportion, size,shape, weight and other details of construction, within the scope ofmyinvention may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit orbroad principle of my invenlike tages thereof; and it is understood thatthe drawings are to beinterpreted as being illustrative and notrestrictive.

In drilling with a rotary rig it is necessary to provide two pumps inorder to provide a continuous and uninterrupted flow of fluid underpressure, The drillinglluid is forced'through pipes and hose into thehole through a rotating shaft, to the rotating drill at the bottom ofthe ing whence it and the loose material formed thereby is carried tothe surface and emptied into a basin or pond. The extraneous mattersettles from the fluid, and it is again ready for another cycle ofoperation. If an interruption occurs in this process and the pressure ofthe drilling fluid is not maintained, the well or hole is exposed to thedanger of caving in and closing up the hole. All of these possibilitiesand other disadvantages are obviated by my invention.

I bring about these advantages by providing: a longitudinal cylindricalbody 1 having an upstanding portion 2 forming a union 3 with astand-pipe outlet 4 having a bore 5 therein; on body 1 are providedintegral turned down ends 6 and '7 having flanged unions 8 and 9. Theseare adapted for connecting with pipes 10 and 11 and lines from pumps 12and 13. I also provide v valve seats 14 and 15 each having rim shoulders16 with a plurality of perforations 17. Said shoulders 16 are adaptedfor seating between flanges 8 and 9 and similar flanges l8 and 19 onsaid pipes 10 and 11. I alined with similar perforations in said flanges8 and 9 and 18 and 19 and are held securely together by suitable boltsand nuts or other suitable holding means (not shown). Said valve seats14 and 15 are bevelled from their tops 20 towards llo tion and withoutsacrificing any of the advan-.

8 well and thence out at the drill point into the cas- Said perforations1'7 are ,195

their bottoms 21 of suitable size for seating the ball valve 22.

In operation when my device is attached to the pipes 10 and 11 inworking position and to the stand-pipe4, one of the pumps is started.For use in oil and gas well drilling this usually has a pressure ofapproximately 500 pounds.

The drilling fluid coming into the body 1 will immediately by such forcebe driven to the opposite end of the body and the ball valve 22 will becarried to the valve seat opposite from the end from which the fluidenters and there will be seated. This will close the port thereunder.The fluid will then be forced out at the stand-pipe outlet 4. If thepump then in use becomes disabled, or is shut off for any reason, theother pump is then turned on. This will force the ball valve 22 awayfrom its seat and will carry it to the opposite side of the body 1 andinto the lower end thereof where it will be seated and lodged in thevalve seat. The drilling fluid will then be forced out the stand-pipeoutlet 4 and thence into the well, rotary shaft, etc., and out again asabove described. The ball valve 22 is of such size that it will not inany event be forced out of the bore 5 and into the stand-pipe outlet 4.However, this is not necessary as the fluid forced from the pump put inoperation will drive the ball valve 22 to the other and lower end of thebody 1 since there is no force being exerted from the other pump andpipe.

It will'be observed by those familiar with the art to which my inventionpertains that after the installation of my device the turning on of oneof the pumps makes the working of the device automatic. Also that incase the valve seats becomeworn, byloosening the fastenings for flanges8 and 9 and 18 and 19 and separating the flanges, the valve seats 14 caneasily be taken out and easily replaced by others, without interferencewith the drilling operation except for a. very limited period of time.It will also be understood said ball valve may be made of a suitablyhard substance such as steel, fibre, rubber, and the like.

Having thus described my invention what is claimed and desired to besecured by Letters Patent is:

1. A pump manifold ball valve of the character disclosed and comprisinga horizontally extending cylindrical manifold body having downturnedends with horizontal flanges for the fastening of lines leading from twopumps and having an upper intermediate flanged outlet for the connectionof a stand pipe, removable valve seats having horizontal flanges engagedwith the horizontal end flanges of the manifold body and havingvertically extending bevelled bores entered in the downturned endportions of the manifold body with the larger ends uppermost and openinginto the body and the smaller ends at the bottom and opening into thepump lines and a ball valve of a size to interchangeably fit in thebevelled bores of the two valve seats and to freely roll along thehorizontal portion of the manifold body to automatically clear itselfbefore dropping into one or the other of such valve seats.

2. A pump manifold ball valve of the character disclosed and comprisinga manifold body having an intermediate portion with an upwardlyextending flanged outlet and having downwardly extending end portionswith flanges for the fastening of flanged lines leading from two pumps,downwardly tapered conical valve seats, removably seated in saiddownwardly extending end portions of the manifold body and detachablefrom the manifold body independently of the flange connections betweenthe pump lines and the manifold and a ball valve automatically shiftableby pressure fluid from one end to the other end of the manifold and fromthe valve seat at one end across the intermediate portion to the valveseat at the opposite end and removably retained in such relation by saiddetachable valve seats.

EDWARD M. BEEBE.

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